Religious ed kids helping survivors of Asian tsunami

For some children who survived December's tsunami in Southeast Asia and Africa, relief will spring from strawberry cheesecake.

A bake sale of desserts made by children from four parishes in Cohoes is just one way kids in religious education programs around the Albany Diocese are raising money to help their peers in countries devastated by the tsunami.

The diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC) sent a letter to catechetical and youth ministry leaders in January, asking them to consider "bringing the Gospel to life" by having children in religious education respond to the tsunami crisis in some way.

If each of the 40,000 children in parish religious ed programs raised just $2.50, the letter suggested, $100,000 could be sent from the Diocese for relief efforts.

Recipe for aid

Coincidentally, fifth- and tenth-graders from St. Bernard's, St. Joseph's, St. Michael's and St. Rita/Sacred Heart parishes in Cohoes had just started a unit in their religious ed classes on "thinking outside the box" and being a "global Christian."

Program coordinator Kathleen Burns said the students quickly realized they had an obligation to help fellow Catholics in need -- especially where tsunamis had killed 290,000 people and left millions more homeless.

Mrs. Burns said the children themselves decided to hold a bake sale to benefit those survivors, making all the items themselves -- from bags of popcorn to chocolate-covered pretzels, and even a huge strawberry cheesecake -- and selling them to younger classmates at a nickel or dime per item.

"They set up tables, priced items, ran the cash box and helped kids back to their classrooms with their goodies," she boasted. "I was very proud of them."

Together, the 300 children raised $280. "It's not a lot of money, but the work and enthusiasm that went into it were incredible," said Mrs. Burns. "They even stayed after class, waiting for me to count the cash box, while their parents were sitting outside in their cars, waiting!"

Earnings

At St. Joseph's parish in Greenwich, religious ed students took up coordinator Elizabeth Davis' challenge to earn money for tsunami relief and win prizes.

She said the children had to earn the money themselves and suggested shoveling snow, doing extra chores, cleaning their rooms or making their beds without being asked, washing dishes, or working in a family business as ways to do so.

Two fourth-graders, Jade Harington and Abby Dusha, were the top earners. Abby raised $17 and Jade $25. Mrs. Davis remarked that Jade's mother said the student "couldn't do enough around the house" to earn money toward the effort.

"The kids have been really interested in this," Mrs. Davis added. "It really hit home that this is what the Church does: We take care of our brothers and sisters. We have a responsibility to the world."

(St. Madeleine Sophie parish in Guilderland put a container for donations near its faith formation office. At last count, students had raised $471. All donations are being sent to diocesan Catholic Charities to be forwarded to Catholic Relief Services. Catholic school students have also helped the tsunami survivors. At St. James Institute in Albany, for example, students have held a raffle, bake sale and dress-down day. The result was $514 for Catholic Relief Services.)

(2/24/05)